Storm Chains
by Mechalich
Summary: The saga of the troubled Lightning ninja Kabure Gosain as he struggles to accept the responsibilities thrust upon him and rebuild his shattered country.
1. Prologue and Timeline

**Disclaimer:** The Naruto universe and characters are copyright of the original creator and the producing companies, I make no claim on copyrights not my own. However, the majority of the material in this story is original, and my own property, including all original characters, techniques, and events.

**Author's Intro:** Ah, this is pretty ridiculous, I told myself I wasn't going to do this, and then I went and did it anyway. Curse my brain for coming up with a story, now I'm writing another Naruto fanfic. Of course, the term probably has to be used loosely here, since this is about as far from the story of Naruto as you can get and still even be in the world at all, at least without making up new countries.

Regardless, this story is a continuation from (not sequel to) Behind Killer's Eyes, my other Naruto fanfic. Basically it picks up in the Lightning Country (Hidden Cloud) where that story left off, with the character of Kabure Gosain, a lightning ninja who played a substantial role in Behind Killer's Eyes. This story will be about Gosain and a large number of other original characters. Fair warning, it will not involve any characters from the actual Naruto manga or anime whatsoever, though there will be some references to plot events mentioned there. While this story is set after Behind Killer's Eyes, reading it is not a prerequisite to understanding this story (though I would encourage you to regardless). I've provided a brief timeline that should fill in all relevant events, and integrates with my interpretation of events that occurred in the Naruto manga and anime.

As this story does not relate to the anime or manga directly in any way it should not contain any manga spoilers (I hope).

Hopefully this will be an enjoyable story for fans of Naruto wishing to get a look at some unexplored parts of the world and a slightly different, but still Naruto-esque story. Thanks, please review if you read, whether you love this or hate it.

**Prologue – The Tide Flows In**

The sun broke over the waves with majestic presence, a searing radiance that struck through to touch the soul of the coastal people and the fisherfolk who greeted that ocean dawn. It illuminated the beginning of a bright new day, one that brought clear skies and the promise of the sea's bounty. Days such as this were rare on this great island, wracked by the power of the mighty ocean, where storms came often, and the land was most often covered in a baleful mist that hid everything and made all conscious of the ocean's dark designs for all land.

"A good day for good news to come," A cold voice, hard like the stony cliffs that suffered the ocean's pounding every second of every hour every day, remarked softly. "Perhaps it is an omen."

"I trust not to omens or anything so foolish," Another voice, this one sharp and cutting, with the power of a breaking wave, replied. "This brightness is revealing; the cold and misty weather is our blessing, not these clear skies."

"There is a truth in that, perhaps," The other replied, with the cautious judgment of experience. "The weather is the province of the gods alone, and we can only endure it. Still," He chuckled. "I am encouraged by this day somehow. It is somehow fitting that it should be a good day for us when we learn of the trials of our foes."

The other man was quiet for a moment, but then spoke, his voice bearing a trace of violent hunger. "You have whispered many things of the news this morning, Mizukage-sama, the words delivered before dawn by one of our most trusted spies. I have patiently walked out here with you, but I can only assume you called for me to tell me the news," His mouth twisted sharply and his hands clenched, cutting off and instinctive motion to reach for a weapon. "You claim there is good news from our spy in Lightning country, and that our foes have faced trials. I'm not good with suspense, so why don't you tell me."

"You ought to cultivate the ocean's eternal patience as well as its eternal anger Akai," Mizukage replied slyly, teasing the other. "However, I will not bother to keep you in suspense. Recognize that I tell you this first for a reason, one I expect you will guess before I am done."

"So what is the news Mizukage-sama?"

"Many things have happened in Lightning is seems," Mizukage answered. "Dark things." His voice was without malice, but there was a cruel happiness behind the tragic tale he told, pleased with the failure of the rival nation. "It seems the Dark Storm returned at last to take the country."

"The Dark Storm?" It was a gasp. "This is not good news, if she rules Lightning then she will turn all its strength against us, and we will be hard pressed, even if many died in her coup."

"Patient, Akai, patience." Mizukage chuckled. "That was my first reaction too, but far more has happened. The Dark Storm did indeed launch a coup, and many died, including your old nemesis the 7th Raikage, but," And the leader of the entire mighty nation of Water country stressed that one word as if determined the whole future. "The Dark Storm did not succeed."

"Did not succeed?" Akai's response was more shocked than his dour and sharp voice could properly contain, and the words barely formed.

"No, she did not succeed, for she underestimated her foes. It seems the dragon ninja, Draci Xi, was still out there, and he found her, and demonstrating powers beyond anything in recent memory, fought her," Mizukage gave a sigh. "It was apparently a fight such as we can barely imagine, with god-like summoned beasts in the sky to be seen throughout the country, and ninja abilities unleashed with absolute perfection. A pity I could not see it." He paused, turning to the other ninja with a great smile on his face. "Yet, to our utmost benefit, it seems they slew each other."

"Slew each other? Lightning's most powerful ninja of the past twenty years are dead?"

"Indeed, they are, they, and hundreds of others, both those who fought for the Dark Storm, the members of many clans, and those loyal to the Raikage who were killed in the coup. The power of the Lightning has been shattered. Even Xi's students, the three youths he apparently made dragon ninja, though powerful, are apparently to become hunter-nins and stand aside from all conflicts," Mizukage smiled again, and this time he did not even bother to hide the grin in his eyes, the grin of a predator who seems his prey wounded and unable to run. "Lightning has been shattered, the Leaf, we now know, is weak, the Sound are gone, all the strength that remains in the eastern part of the shinobi world belongs to us now, the Mist. The time has come to exercise it."

"I see why you related this news to me first, Mizukage-sama," Akai said, his grin matching that of his leader's exactly. "You wish me to begin to take that which is now Lightning's, and properly belongs to us."

"Indeed Akai, you have long been the chief warrior on our northern border in the islands. The situation there has long been a stalemate, but though the garrisons of lightning on the islands are untouched, all that was behind them has been swept away. I will add to your forces, Akai, doubling them. That will not sweep them away with utter ease, but by doing that we will remain strong enough everywhere else that none can threaten us. With your skills you should be able to take much of lightning."

"It will take time, those ninja are not fools, whatever else I say of them, but if everything you have told me is true, then we can push hard, and they cannot increase their strength to try and push back, and they no longer have a brilliant strategist to aid them." Akai smiled viscously once more. "Double my forces and I promise that all that will remain to the Lightning at year's end will be the mainland."

"Good, I will expect much more good news soon then." Mizukage answered, and turned from the shore to return to his village.

Akai stared out at the sea for a long time, looking northward, and watching the tide batter against the rocks. _A strong rock may hold back the sea almost forever, but weak stone is worn away quickly_. He laughed as he saw the doom of his enemies to come.

**Timeline: **All dates are referenced against the current manga date (which has remained the same day from chapter 185-225 and onward and is about one month past the current anime date). This timeline summarizes essential events from the perspective of Lightning country, for more detail see Behind Killer's Eyes.

**Summary of Recent Lightning History**

12-9 Years Ago: Following the weakness in the Leaf due to their losses fighting the Kyuubi, the powerful nation of Lightning, under the 5th Raikage, launches an attack across the border. Though initially successful they are gradually pushed back, notably due to the abilities of the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans. While a jounin takes command of the battlefield and stems Lightning's losses by three years into the war they have been pushed back to the border. At this time a female ninja thereafter known only as the Dark Storm melds her essence with the demonic essence that represents all the evils of the storm. She uses her new powers to kill several Uchiha, including the then clan leader, one of Sasuke's uncles, and a notable Hyuuga, Hiashi's cousin then branch family leader.

During this war the Dragon Ninja Draci Xi serves as the second member of an all jounin hunter-nin squad that tracks missing-nins and defectors from both sides of the battlefield.

The war ends when a sneak attack on Konoha itself, led by the Dark Storm and the 5th Raikage, is defeated. The 3rd Hokage kills the 5th Raikage. The Dark Storm escapes. The battlefield commander gets the committee to sue for peace at status quo ante.

9 Years Ago: Under influence from the Dark Storm the interim head ninja and leader of the peace mission is instructed to capture Hyuuga Hinata, so that the secrets of the Byakugan can be learned. This attempt fails, and the political maneuver that follows also fails, embarrassing the Dark Storm and Hidden Cloud. As a result of this, and due to her obviously vile nature, the Dark Storm does not become the 6th Raikage, but a compromise woman is appointed instead. The jounin battlefield commander is sent to the southern islands to fight the Water Country.

8 Years Ago: Having gathered a great deal of secretive power and support in secret, the Dark Storm launches a coup to seize control of Hidden Cloud. However, many clans and factions take to fighting in the city. The Dark Storm kills the 6th Raikage openly in the streets, and appears to be victorious, but when her associates begin to kill innocents openly and lay siege to the ninja academy, the mood hardens against her. A dying messenger gives the hunter-nins the news. They break their oaths of non-involvement and return to save many academy students and rip apart the Dark Storm's followers. At the same time the Dark Storm battles and kills Draci Naravki, Xi's mentor, atop the Raikage's Hall. The dragon ninja is defeated, and the Dark Storm takes his four ninja artifacts. However, the fight concludes as the jounin commander arrives with the entire garrison of the southern islands, and stands before the Dark Storm. She flees. The four hunter-nins pursue, but they are defeated, and only Xi survives when his leader sacrifices herself to take the dragon ninja artifacts from the Dark Storm and commands him to run. Xi is exiled for breaking his oaths. The jounin battle commander takes the mantle of the 7th Raikage, as no other candidates with the strength remain.

During this battle, Senirai Shiren and the others of her Academy class are branded for being saved by the Hunter-nins, and are forbidden proper instruction.

8 Years Ago-Current Manga Date: Draci Xi serves as a roving agent throughout the shinobi countries, working as hunter and spy. He is constantly searching for the Dark Storm, trying to kill her, but she seems to have vanished. Xi meets with and becomes known to every country and Kage.

8 Years Ago-Current Manga Date: The 7th Raikage struggles to hold Hidden Cloud together, but has great difficultly succeeding. The power of individual clans grows, and few ninja look to the Raikage for leadership. Eventually the Dark Storm's influence creeps back into Cloud.

6 Years Ago: Twelve-year-old Kabure Gosain graduates from the ninja academy and swiftly acquires the name "Cursed Genin."

5-4 Years Ago: The two-year war with Hidden Mist, both sides fight several small battles and many brutal missions over the island territories. The 'seven swordsmen' of Mist become famous during this period, though the 7th Raikage defeats each of them in battle, even though he does not manage to kill them. The treaty that concludes the war is vague, and constant squabbling continues, with regular deaths.

3 Years Ago: Alone out of the 25 ninja in her class, Senirai Shiren graduates from the ninja academy to become a genin.

Date Unknown: The Dark Storm joins the Akatsuki, becoming the second highest ranked member of that organization, and begins to gather dissatisfied lightning ninja to her banner.

1 Month Before Current Manga Date: Draci Xi reveals his presence during Orochimaru's attack on Konoha. He fights numerous sound and sand ninja, killing twenty-five. He also fights Kabuto, but the sound ninja retreats before him. Xi attempts to break the barrier around the 3rd Hokage, but does not succeed. He then fights the three-headed snake summons in Konoha and delays it until Jiraiya arrives.

Current Manga Date: Draci Xi saves Hyuuga Neji from death after facing Kidomaru, and subsequently begins to train him as a dragon ninja.

Behind Killer's Eyes, Month 2: Draci Xi calls for companions for Neji for the winter Chuunin exam, Senirai Shiren and Kabure Gosain answer.

Behind Killer's Eyes, Month 3: In the chuunin exam, Xi's team defeats a massive Hidden Waterfall plot to kill them, while Xi kills four waterfall jounin who ambush him. Kabure Gosain defeats fellow lightning ninja Yilosi Nemari, paralyzing him, Senirai Shiren wins the chuunin exam, having killed the monstrous grass ninja Tonetero, and defeated Draci Neji. Shiren and Gosain are made Chuunin.

Behind Killer's Eyes, Month 5: The Dark Storm, forced out of hiding by her compatriot's defeat in Grass, launches her attack on Cloud. Her nighttime ambush slays almost all chuunin and jounin in the village loyal to the Raikage, but Gosain escapes the attack and rallies the numerous genin to fight. As the clans stand aside Gosain and the genin clear much of the village of the Dark Storm's forces. The Dark Storm faces the 7th Raikage and kills him, but he orders the genin to flee and tells Gosain to bring Draci Xi. Gosain manages a brutal marathon voyage to the Fire country border, and manages to evade and slay his pursuers until reaching the watching Shiren. Draci Xi goes to lightning immediately.

Behind Killer's Eyes, Month 6: Draci Xi travels to lightning, killing the 40 lesser ninja the Dark Storm sends against him. Draci Neji, his fellow dragon ninja, and Gosain pursue, and Gosain captures 60 lightning clan ninja so that the dragon ninja can kill them. Xi fights the Dark Storm and loses but is saved by the intervention of his students. In their second battle the Dark Storm summons the demonic evil of the storm, while Xi summons Izanagami, mightiest of dragons. While the two ninja fight on the ground, the summons fight in the sky, and are visible throughout Lightning Country. Both battles have the same result, the mutual deaths of both combatants. The banner of dragon ninja passes to Neji, Shiren, and Dar, who proclaim their intention to become multi-country hunter-nins.

Present Date: Kabure Gosain returns to Hidden Cloud leading numerous chuunin and genin, to be present for the induction of Heposiri Saiyki, the one clan leader who was absent when the Dark Storm attacked, as the 8th Raikage, even though he does not truly have the strength to hold the position.


	2. Recovering Bonds

Author's Notes: So, this is the beginning of the tale for Gosain. This chapter has a lot of exposition in it that readers of Behind Killer's Eyes may find somewhat repetitive, but some of it should be new. Frankly, there's going to be a number of references to what went on before throughout this tale, but it will hopefully mess seamlessly. If it doesn't feel free to ask questions, or make appropriate comments so I can deal with it. 

For those who have asked, no the dragon ninja will no be appearing in this story. I frankly don't think I could do anything reasonable with them. There will be references to them and their existence, and Gosain will almost certainly spend some time reflecting on his time spent with them, but this is not a sequel. In fact, I'm trying to set it up so that it would be possible to remove all inherently Naruto aspects and still have a coherent story.

I will admit to one thing right now though, I will be inserting something that came to be in Behind Killer's Eyes in here, and that's the Mizuho bloodline limit. That was the ability I was really most proud of creating, and I can't resist getting a little slice of waterfall into this, but that's a ways down the road for certain.

Chapter 1 – Recovering Bonds 

The bright sunshine seemed out of place to Kabure Gosain on this day, his first back in the Hidden Village of Cloud. _It should be dark and stormy still, we are not yet ready for a day like this, the storm still rules us here, and the wounds are raw. It is not time to heal yet. _Still, Gosain covered his face with his hand and proceeded onward, not bothering to allow the irritating brightness to spoil his mood. _Today is an important day, and I cannot waste any time._

He walked past the weary guards at the gate swiftly, and saw them turn their heads as he passed, looking at him strangely. Gosain grunted when that happened. _Everyone looks at me differently now. It's bothersome._ It was looks like those from the two guards that were the worst, the looks that showed admiration, respect, and expected wisdom in return. Gosain had seen the patchy uniforms the two wore, the youth of those two ninja. _Genin, they were both genin. It has come to that, there are so few of us now the genin must guard the gates of lightning, and on longer shifts than the chuunin used to. What has become of this place?_ Gosain asked the question inside his mind, already knowing the answer, knowing it more clearly than any other. _We did it to ourselves. This is our responsibility. I saw it all, the treachery and absence of any discipline that ripped this country apart; so that each ninja sought only a path to his or her own power. I wonder if we can survive it? _That question had no answer.

_I refuse to be smothered by this!_ Gosain reaffirmed the decision he had made a week before, when he saw the battlefield where Draci Xi and the Dark Storm had died. He had been the first to reach that place, to bring the reinforcements long after it was clear they were not needed and could have done nothing even had they come much earlier. It had been a terrible thing to see, to watch that battle in the sky above, to see storm demon and dragon fight in the roof of the world and then watch both perish. Xi had sacrificed himself, something all had known the strange dragon ninja had long intended, and the Dark Storm was dead. Yet, it was not until he reached the battlefield that Gosain learned the truth of that sacrifice. _Xi did it for his students_, Gosain recalled with bitterness. _He gave up everything for the sake of Neji, Shiren, and Dar, and that was what gave him the strength to kill that demon woman, not his loyalty to the country of Lightning._

That is what we must accept, Gosain had realized then. Lightning created the Dark Storm, and lightning could not get rid of her. Gosain saw every night in his mind the image of the Raikage's final sacrifice, the death of the man he had considered his only true leader, the one who had given everything to save the nation and kill the Dark Storm, and he had failed. He lacked the power because loyalty and the ninja way were not at the heart of lightning, but the avaricious hunger of the Dark Storm. _If we are to survive this time we must change our country, so that we are no longer like her_. Gosain knew that, but he did not know how that could happen. _It will take strength, and we are weak. Shiren is the best we have now, and she is gone._

They had returned to lightning after reaching that battlefield, and Xi's three students had told the tale of what had happened, so that everyone would know what they had witnessed. They had told their intentions, and then they had left. The three students, each from different nations, they were stronger than Gosain could properly conceive, but they would never fight for any nation. Gosain had traveled with them to the border, while searching for other lightning ninja who had scattered during the fighting. He had tried to convince Shiren to stay for a time, for she was a lightning ninja, and her strength would be needed, but she had said no, that the dragon ninja must put their skills to a purpose above that of any one country.

_She is my friend, as is Neji_, Gosain knew. _They will not neglect us; we need fear nothing from missing-nins anymore_. That was a good thing, but Gosain could not help but believe that if Shiren had stayed Lightning's position would not be so precarious. _Or perhaps I simply wanted a friend with me. It has been a lonely week. There were never friends for the cursed genin I used to be, and now I have no one left alive who I know, save the dragon ninja, even all these genin who look up to me. What do I do?_

Walking through the village this day Gosain felt adrift. Today was the day Heposiri Saiyki would be made the eight Raikage. Gosain knew that, he himself had suggested the man, the only head of any clan of lightning ninja that had not been present at the time of the Dark Storm's attack, the only one who had not stood by and done nothing as she made her move. He was also one of the strongest ninja remaining, even though his strength was not great enough for him to truly be called a Kage. Lightning must have a leader though, even if there was no one truly suitable, the nation's ninja could not be headless in such a time of peril.

There ceremony was to be held on the steps of the Raikage's Hall, the building that had been the foundation of the Hidden Village of Cloud. It was the center of that nation, both physically the center of the village and the spiritual heart of the nation. This building had been created as a fortress to protect the people of this land from the many factions that threatened it long ago, during the years of Great War. It was a strong building, but not a pleasant one, though in the years since its creation it had been made slightly more pleasant. As the need for defense had diminished it became a site for ceremonies, and a museum to the history of the ninja. _All that, it makes this place seem stable, more stable than we have ever been_, Gosain thought as the building came into view. _Yet, the lie is clearly visible now_. A gaping hole stretched in the roof of the grand building, the hole that had been created during the fight between the 7th Raikage and the Dark Storm. That hole destroyed the unified structure of that building, and nullified its powers, created by the labors of hundreds of ninja. Workmen had already begun repairs, but it would be some time before the building was whole again. _If it ever is, if this country can survive the coming time_, Gosain thought with grim despair. _We may have removed enemies on the outside, but it seems we only invited them within_. The damage to the Raikage's Hall, like the rest of the damage scattered throughout the village, had been done by lightning ninja themselves.

A crowd was gathered in front of the building, waiting for the ceremony to commence. They were ninja all, the regular citizens and even the lords of the Lightning country were not permitted here at this time. This was a business of the ninja alone, one that might have in other days been joyous, but was now only a sad trial. This was the election of a new Raikage.

Gosain walked straight into that crowd, and received many strange looks as he did so. There were many ninja here, every last one that did not have pressing duties. This was a surprising number, but only until Gosain recalled that normal missions had been suspended, and so all those ninja not actively guarding were free to attend, creating a deceptive picture of numerous ninja. _So many are genin_, Gosain saw this as well, and though he had expected it, it was still saddening. He searched the crowd for other ninja of his own rank, the mid-ranked chuunins, but found few, and those he found were all members of one of the several powerful ninja clans that vied for dominance in Hidden Cloud. _I am the only clan-less chuunin here_. That was surely the source for some of the looks Gosain received, but there was another, more obvious reason. All the ninja wore their best outfits, either perfectly pressed battle uniforms, or the more austere black garb of mourning, that many had donned following the fighting. Gosain wore nothing of the kind. He stood in the battle garb of a lightning ninja, the brown flak jacket with its one small pocket over the blue base uniform of his country. He carried a kunai holster and shuriken pouch, and had bandages wrapped about his legs. The most striking thing was not this, but how dirty all of it was. Gosain was covered in dust, mud, and grime. His short black hair was a grubby mess, covered by an equally stained blue bandanna, and he still carried the two and half foot steel pole with its hooked ends in his right hand, the weapon for which he was known, the central apparatus of his true weaponry, the long chains he wore wrapped about his torso. It was clear to anyone who watched that Gosain had come from the field, and he had not bothered to clean up for the ceremony.

Many ninja stared at Gosain for this, but he met every one with his hardened gaze, always dark it had grown colder since the last few weeks. _I have no time to waste cleaning up for this formality, we shouldn't be bothering at all, and everyone knows this is not a true Raikage we are inducting, even the genin. Let this farce be over with, there's too much to do._

Steadily Gosain walked to the front of the crowd, and everyone made way for him. As much as he thought the ceremony was a waste, he had been given a part to play here. Gosain thought it wasted on him, not wanting to acknowledge his own heroism during the Dark Storm's coup. It was not in Gosain to consider that terrible night, when he had watched his Raikage sacrifice himself to save him and others, and seen the lightning consume themselves in a feast of treachery, anything but a failure. That he was the sole ranking ninja who had rallied, gathered the scattered and inexperienced, but loyal, genin and driven many of the invaders back, that he had endured a nigh Olympian marathon run to gain the aid of Draci Xi, and that he had himself led the hunt for the last of the Dark Storm's loyalists, none of that mattered to Gosain. He could only recall the Raikage's face as he told Gosain to flee, that there was nothing he could do to prevent that man's death and the Dark Storm's victory. _I failed then. I cannot fail again_. Gosain had pledged that to himself.

Though Gosain would not acknowledge his deeds, others had, including the many genin who saw this grubby chuunin as the only ninja who had not betrayed them. It was in acknowledgement of his willingness to fight with them, on the loosing side, that he had earned his position here.

It was at the front of the crowd that Gosain took his place, the eighteen-year-old chuunin standing among a ring of much older jounin. The ranks of these ninja were small, for few of Lightning's elite had survived the battles. Most of those who stood here were older, the heads of the various clans, long out of practice in actual fighting, or the silent few captains of the ANBU who had survived by virtue of their remote postings in lightning country, men and women eager to return to their own commands. Strangely, though all these ninja were older than Gosain by several years at least, one who knew nothing of the lightning might have made the mistake and considered Gosain among the eldest of the ANBU, for his dark eyes held a cold weariness that reached far beyond his short lifespan.

There was one ninja present in that front row younger than Gosain, a boy who was a mere fourteen years old. He wore a dark blue jumpsuit, and his right arm was in a sling, but he maintained a fierce expression on his face. This youth stood next to Gosain, and the chuunin found himself happy to know that this one was even alive. _I thought you were surely dead Shu_, Gosain recalled, remembering that he had sent the valiant genin to the southern islands, all the way to the Water Country border, to summon aid. He had not expected the boy to survive, but it seemed Shu had managed it somehow. _Good, Shu will be needed; he will have to fill a chuunin's role soon, even if he is not ready_. It was a sour thought.

"Are all present?" A loud voice spoke, and a speaker stepped forward from that ring of ranking ninja. The speaker was a slim special jounin, one that Gosain recognized easily. Merico Ebisi, the spymaster of Lightning. It had been this man that brought Gosain the missive that carried him to the chuunin exam with Shiren and Neji under Draci Xi, the jounin who supposedly coordinated all of Lightning's intelligence. This was a gross overestimation, as the factional clans did not share information, and so Ebisi was little more than the master of what the ANBU reported from the borders. He was supposedly competent, but Gosain doubted that a truly talented spymaster would have allowed the Dark Storm to gather so much strength unnoticed. _Unless, of course_, Gosain scowled, _he knew, but secretly supported her_. Gosain did not think that likely, since captured servants of the Dark Storm had named everyone who followed her, and they had all been called up after Xi had slain so very many of them, but that left Lightning with a spymaster whose competence was severely questionable. _Another thing we don't need right now._

All questions of his ability or loyalty aside, Ebisi stood as the spymaster because he, as master of intelligence, was not permitted to become involved in the selection of the Raikage, as his master of intelligence would have been too easily used for blackmail. Therefore, he stood as the arbitrator. Normally the role would have fallen to the head of the Lightning Hunter-nins, but they were dead, and it had already been decided that the country would rely on the dragon ninja, and not reconstitute that group. It would need every strong ninja for wars to come; they could not have four stand aside.

"It seems we are all present." Ebisi intoned. "Then, we will now begin the selection ceremony to determine the Eighth Raikage." Ebisi paused, then continued in a lecturing speech. "As you all know, normally the next Raikage is selected by the one who currently holds the title when it is believed a candidate is ready. However, as few Raikages have survived in their position long enough to do this, we had determined an alternate method for selection of our leader in case of emergency. The current situation has been deemed universally to constitute an emergency by the assembled committee of the village." Ebisi paused. "I would add that the Daimyo of Lightning Country has also strongly urged for the immediate selection of a Raikage to fill the absence. As such, we have gathered here for this purpose."

Ebisi's eyes scanned the gathered crowd. "I will no begin accepting nominations for the next Raikage. As you know, any true jounin may nominate another ninja for this rank. Once nominations are taken all jounin and special jounin will each receive one vote for the next candidate, and there will also be a vote allotted to the collective chuunin and the collective genin of Hidden Cloud Village." Ebisi took out a scroll and pen. "We may begin nominations."

It was all a formality in truth, everyone had already determined who would be the next Raikage. Heposiri Saiyki was the only possible candidate. He was the only clan head who had not been in the village during the coup, and therefore was not tainted by the action of having stood aside while the Dark Storm attacked, as had all the other clan heads. Likewise, only a clan head had the experience to take up this office now, none of the remaining ANBU captains had the strength or experience, all the strongest lay dead. So everyone knew who it would be, but that did not mean this was completely unimportant. Gosain had been introduced to the viscous politics of Lightning not long ago, and he recognized that one clan could make a show of supporting another candidate and thereby show a lack of confidence in Saiyki, others could join with them to group together a substantial faction. _Please let there by no such foolishness today, even these moronic old men must know that we cannot present anything less than one face to our enemies now_. Gosain hoped, but deep down he expected otherwise.

"I nominate Heposiri Saiyki." One of the most senior jounin said immediately.

"Heposiri Saiyki, leader of clan Heposiri of Cloud is duly nominated." Ebisi replied, and recorded the name. "Are there other nominations?" He asked.

There was a long period of silence, and Gosain dared to believe that for once politics would be silenced beneath the need for the ninja to stand together in strength. He waited for Ebisi to proceed to the voting.

Just as it seemed the Spymaster was ready to roll up the scroll, another voice spoke. "I nominate Stomatoa Vesu."

Ebisi dropped his scroll open mouthed.

The words touched off a firestorm.

"What?...Him!...You can't!...That's impossible!...The traitor?" The jounin shouted and muttered amongst themselves, losing focus and disrupting everything.

Gosain, however, had eyes only for the speaker. Yilosi Tnema, head of the Yilosi clan, the clan from which he had crippled Yilosi Nemari, the clan that was likely closest to the Dark Storm, and one that had always put its own interests before anything else. _Damn you, you bastard_. Gosain thought, and his anger flared, and he couldn't keep silent. "All of you shut up!" Gosain bellowed, his voice ragged and raging, filled with all the anger that had been boiling in him the whole day.

The crowd fell suddenly silent, everyone turned to stare at Gosain. Seeing all those eyes turned on him, Gosain felt words and anger slip from his mind, as he struggled to find something to say. His eyes scanned that ring of jounin, and caught to faces. The first was the scathing face of Yilosi Tnema, who looked as if he intended to kill Gosain that very instant. Of course, Gosain knew that the man actually did, so that didn't concern him much. The other face was that of Stomatoa Vesu, the short and wiry clan head was actually in attendance, though Gosain could hardly believe it. He was looking at Gosain cautiously, but also as if he had something to say. Seeing that image, Gosain saw a way out, and he seized it.

"The head of clan Yilosi has chosen stupidity and a personal grudge over the interests of this country," Gosain said openly, not caring that he insulted the man for all to see. "I'm certain none of us will soon forget that. However, I believe the head of clan Stomatoa has something to say."

"Thank you, chuunin," Vesu replied, as the eyes turned to face him. The barb stung Gosain, but there was nothing to be done about it. "I will address this assembly simply. I will not become Raikage. Therefore nominating me is irrelevant. It was agreed upon years ago that no one from my generation of my clan could ever hold high office in this country. Is that clear?" He asked, and his old voice carried a viscous edge. Yilosi's barb had been well targeted, for this clan leader might well be the strongest that remained, despite his clan's unfortunate history.

"Well then," Ebisi said cautiously as Vesu finished, "If there are no other nominations, I suggest we proceed to voting. I will call the names, please answer for whom you support as the eighth Raikage of Hidden Cloud."

Ebisi began calling names, going down the list alphabetically, jounin, and then special jounin. Votes were cast again and again for Heposiri Saiyki, but he did not receive a vote of confidence from everyone present. The Yilosi's gambit had accomplished that much. While no ninja, not even Yilosi Tnema, supported Stomatoa Vesu, many abstained, saying that they found no candidate suitable for the position at this time. Gosain counted the votes carefully, and it became apparent that with all the abstentions, Saiyki would carry a bare majority of the votes. It meant nothing in fact, since there was no opposition, but it showed just how weak support was, even when it needed to be the strongest.

"The Special Jounin have finished." Ebisi called. "How do the chuunin cast their vote?"

Gosain answered swiftly and strongly. "The chuunin stand for Heposiri Saiyki." Gosain knew little of the clan head, but he was resolved to support him, and though he hadn't intended it, he knew his vote was seen as important by many of the younger ninja, who no longer trusted any of the clans after the Dark Storm's coup.

"How do the genin cast their vote?" Ebisi asked Shu, already beginning to roll up his scroll.

"The genin will follow the lead of our friend Kabure Gosain." Shu said firmly, to the gasps of many, and Gosain turned on the boy in shock. "And stand for Heposiri Saiyki!" Shu finished.

Gosain continued looking at Shu. _Why did you have to say that?_ He asked without words. _What was the purpose?_ Shu turned and looked up at Gosain, his boyish face frightfully serious. Gosain read the answer in his eyes, and he knew suddenly that Shu would have voted however he had voted. _What he said, he meant to show that the genin look to me as a leader, and not whoever becomes Raikage_. Gosain shivered.

"Well, the voting done," Ebisi called, reclaiming the ceremony from near chaos again. "I proclaim Heposiri Saiyki to be the Eighth Raikage, leader of the Hidden Village of Cloud and all ninja of Lightning Country!"

There was no cheering as Heposiri Saiyki, who had stood in the crowd as just another jounin only moments before, came forward. Gosain, watching, observed his new leader clearing for the first time since the coup had ended. Saiyki was a slim man, older, perhaps in his early forties, but still with youthfulness to his features. He was not tall, but neither was he short. Overall, he was not a particularly striking man, with shortly cut brown hair and a fair coastal complexion, but he had the quiet presence of most strong ninja. He wore the black robes of mourning this day, not his ninja uniform.

Ebisi handed Saiyki the blue marked robes and hat of the Raikage, last worn by the seventh on the night he had died, and solemnly Saiyki put them on. These robes were ordinary, and the hat was one the seventh had never worn. It was now known that the seventh had specially made a Raikage's hat that concealed a ribbon sword, and he had shredded that emblem when fighting the Dark Storm. Saiyki did not seem the type to wear the robes as if they were battle armor like his predecessor had, and certainly not to wear a sword over them. Still, he had a strength behind him that managed to at least partially fill those great robes of office, though looking into his eyes Gosain saw no confidence there. _He does not think himself ready. Good, that at least is somewhat honest._

"I stand before you as the eighth Raikage." Saiyki addressed them, his voice well schooled to speaking, but not powerful, a teacher's voice, not a general's. "It is a heavy burden that you have passed to me, and I hope I prove worthy to carry it. We are now in trying times," He said, speaking the words everyone knew, acknowledging things openly. "The fight against the Dark Storm has proven ruinous, and our village is ravaged and our strength depleted. The peril we face now is greater than any that has come in years, and I feel ill prepared to face it, but I will try. For we cannot surrender, not while any strength at all remains to us. We have survived the ravages of the treachery by the greatest of us in memory, through the sacrifice of many of our best. We must rebuild, and rebuild quickly, and I will do my best to see that happen. The storm has passed, but we stand in its shadow still, and I can see the flags of our enemies rising. I will do my best, but I must ask for the aid of all in lightning, if we are to rebuild again. Thank you."

_Poetic_, Gosain thought, _but will it be enough?_ Yet Gosain believed it was far better to acknowledge their weakness than attempt to hide it. _We have been bent, perhaps broken, and we must accept that before anything can begin_. Still, Gosain could not help but wonder if it was not all hopeless. _Is this just a struggle to see how long we might linger before crumbling?_ He had no easy answer.

"Now I ask that you return to your duties. I will be meeting with many of you in the coming hours, so that we can plan out the future of this village. There is much to be done, so we cannot linger here. Those committee members who I have spoken to please come with me now, the rest of you should receive a notice shortly." Saiyki nodded to the group and turned to head into the Raikage's Hall. Ebisi followed, as did several other ninja.

Gosain turned to leave, not wanting to waste any time. He needed to get back to his room, if he still had a room, and clean himself up. He suspected he would be given a mission tomorrow, and he needed rest. _I have still not fully recovered from using that forbidden technique_, he reminded himself. _I cannot waste time to recuperate._

As he walked back to the ninja's apartments, a genin ran up to him.

"Gosain-san, Gosain-san." The young girl called. "The Raikage sent me to give you this."

_The Raikage?_ Gosain wondered what it was about. _A reprimand for my behavior at the ceremony perhaps_, he determined. "Yes?" He took a small scroll from the genin.

"That's all," She told him. "You're supposed to read that."

"Thank you." Gosain replied. When the genin had gone he opened the scroll.

_Meet with me at the Raikage's Office at midnight,_ It read, and Gosain looked at it in surprise. _There is much we must discuss_.

"What can he want from me?" Gosain wondered aloud before deciding there was nothing he could do but go and meet with the Raikage as ordered. _I guess I'll go short of sleep again tonight_, he thought bitterly.

- If this name seems weird, it should. There's a reason for that. It will become quite clear rather shortly.


	3. Recieving the Ties

Disclaimer: The Naruto universe and characters are copyright of the original creator and the producing companies, I make no claim on copyrights not my own. However, the majority of the material in this story is original, and my own property, including all original characters, techniques, and events.   
Author's Notes: This is relatively short chapter, continuing from where the previous one left off. I admit that this story is going to start rather slow for a while, and it will be some time before the action revs up fully, but that's the way things go. There's a good bit of ground to be established here, as I want to take this story deeper than Behind Killer's Eyes. 

Anyway, thanks to those who reviewed, and I encourage additional reviews, it's always very helpful and inspiring.

Chapter 2 – Receiving the Ties 

Gosain entered the Raikage's office only to be struck with a wave of sadness. The room was a small one, used for the private business of the leader of the Lightning ninja, and it was located in a small house far from the formal setting of Raikage's Hall. This room then had escaped the destruction of the fighting that swept through the village, despite its nature, and here Gosain observed all the mementoes of the Seventh Raikage's life, preserved from the time before his death. Seeing these items, mostly weapons and armor, for the Seventh had been a soldier, but also simpler things such as finely made clay figurines and elaborate calligraphy paintings of the one hundred ninja sayings, stuck the chuunin hard. He recalled now that though it seemed like a lifetime the Seventh Raikage had died not more than three weeks ago, and despite himself Gosain found tears slowly flowing down his cheeks.

"It is something to look at," Heposiri Saiyki said from the shadows of a solid desk built into the far wall. "I can't feel at home here, in this place. It is a general's headquarters, this room, the place where he guided all the campaigns both on the battlefield and here at home to try and save us from ourselves. Seeing this earlier today I realized that I had never given him enough credit, or realized just how terrible this position is."

"Terrible?" Gosain asked, his confused mind having trouble sorting through Saiyki's words. "It is terrible to be Raikage?"

"When you are not ready," Saiyki sighed. "Yes, then it is terrible. As he was not ready, neither am I, but for me, even moreso. The Seventh was a soldier, a commander, and a good one. Though he might have had to fight battles that did not suit him in the politics here, he at least was prepared to fight battles. I am not like that."

Slowly Gosain nodded, though he did not fully understand. He did not think like a leader usually, certainly not on this scale. _I might lead missions, but I have no idea what it's like to lead a country. The responsibility, I don't know if I could bear it._ "Why did you call me here, Raikage-sama?" Gosain asked.

"Sit down, Kabure Gosain," The Eighth Raikage answered, gesturing to a chair in front of the desk. "And please, don't call me Raikage-sama, Heposiri-san will do if you must be formal, but I don't think I could bear to have you call me the Raikage."

"You are the Raikage, Heposiri-san, I should call you that," Those were Gosain's words, but he did not hesitate to drop the title.

"The ranks demand that you should, but I don't feel like the Raikage, I doubt I ever will," Saiyki sighed again. "Besides, even if I am Raikage, I am not your Raikage, that man is dead, and I don't think you will ever honor another who holds this office so. That man had your respect, and he could have ordered you to Hell and you would have gone without regrets. I can't think of myself like that, so I won't try, at least not with you, Gosain. I will do my best to gather your willing assistance, however."

"Why should you need to do anything of the kind?" Gosain questioned. "You are the Raikage, I will serve you as every lightning must. Besides, what does it matter, I am only a chuunin."

"You should listen to yourself." Saiyki replied with a dry chuckled. "'Only a chuunin,' hah, nothing could be further from the truth. Whether you admit it or not, Gosain, you are one of the most important people in this village right now."

"I'm what?" Gosain couldn't believe the words that had been said.

"Be quiet for a moment and listen," Saiyki admonished. "You wanted to know why I called you here didn't?" When Gosain nodded he continued, his tone easy, professor-like. "You are a person out of place Gosain, you are the only chuunin who came through that night alive. You are the only one who was there who didn't fight for the Dark Storm and survived. The Seventh Raikage gave his last command to you, not anyone else. You are the one who brought Draci Xi back to us; you are the one who punished sixty traitors at the cost of five or more years of your own life, and you are the only older ninja who has the respect of the genin at all. They look at the rest of us like cowards," Siayki looked about to say something suitably harsh, but then stopped, appearing to reconsider. "Perhaps they should, after all, they fought when we were not there. Regardless, do you perhaps get a sense of your own importance, Kabure Gosain?"

It all felt wrong to Gosain, this sort of treatment. After all, it had only been a few short months since he had been a genin himself, one of that lowest tier of ninja. A genin who had been stuck at the rank for six years no less, a man carrying a curse that everyone around him suffered, a curse he still carried. He had been an outcast, a failure, one of so many ninja who would achieve next to nothing important with their lives. That was who Kabure Gosain had been.

Then he had gone to the chuunin exam with Draci Xi, he had been pared with two genin younger than himself, two who were now the powerful and deadly dragon ninja, Neji and Shiren, and they had survived his curse and emerged victorious. They might have adjusted to the power they had gained, but not Gosain, he still thought of himself as a worker, a man who took orders and carried out objectives. _I am not what this Raikage thinks I am, I'm just another ninja, but I can't deny his words_. "I might be important, but it's just a chance, I'm no genius ninja," Gosain answered.

"Maybe so, maybe not," Saiyki said quizzically. "That remains to be seen, but you are an important ninja, and you have proven yourself. Also, you have proven your loyalty to this village, and not to some lesser faction. Since I must now attempt to save this village it may be that is more important than anything else. Therefore I have a task for you, chuunin Kabure Gosain."

"What sort of task?" Gosain asked, wondering why Saiyki had bothered with all this if he was simply assigning Gosain another mission.

"You are aware of our great weakness in numbers Gosain," Saiyki said, and continued without waiting for Gosain to give his acknowledgement. "We must take steps to remedy that problem as soon as possible. Unfortunately," Saiyki sighed. "It will not be easy. Most of the academy teachers are dead, killed in the fighting, and while the current crop of genin has proven itself, many are sure to fall in coming months, as they must undertake tasks beyond their abilities. However, to teach new students I must pull away talented ninja critically needed to lead our forces. I can replace the academy teachers with some older ninja out of retirement, but there is simply no way that jounin teachers can be spared for the newest genin, even though we must have new genin. Therefore, I am going to do something new. Gosain, you, and a few others among the surviving chuunin, will be undertaking to train new genin immediately."

"Train new genin immediately?" Gosain repeated. "But Heposiri-san, there are no new genin, the class will not graduate for two months." That much was common sense, in fact, Gosain suspected it would be longer, since they would have to make up for time lost in the fighting.

"They will graduate tomorrow." Saiyki answered firmly. "I have chosen the nine academy students in the current class with the highest marks and grouped them into three teams. They will immediately be considered genin, and grouped under three chuunin. There will be no attempts to reject these teams if they prove unsuitable. They will learn to work together because you will make them work together. Likewise, any skills they have not completely mastered you will remedy immediately. I do not wish to do this Gosain, but I must. You will have one week to test them and then I will start sending them on missions."

"One week is not enough time, even if I were a jounin." Gosain replied with a stony voice. "I'm not a jounin, I can't teach, how do you expect this to work?"

"That's why they're the top students, hopefully they can grasp things themselves," However, Saiyki sighed again, and his eyes betrayed little confidence in this plan. He continued in a more friendly voice. "Frankly Gosain, I don't think this will work well. I expect most of these nine will die, after all, there will be no D rank missions, I've suspended them, as a village can only afford to indulge in such things when strong. Likewise, we will be fulfilling only the most profitable of the C rank missions now, the B and A rank missions we will perform, since they are important to our security. However, even those missions will have to be performed in part by genin, there are simply not enough others available. If I can get any one of these three teams to the point where one of these genin is assisting with those critical missions, then I will account this a success, even if the others die. It is a cold calculation, but we need strong ninja now, numbers mean nothing when the ninja are weak. The Sound proved that already in Konoha."

"Heposiri-san, what are you so afraid of?" Gosain asked the question suddenly. He knew the answer really, but he wanted to here it from the mouth of the new Raikage, wanted it in the open, the fear everyone had been carrying since the true cost of the Dark Storm's coup had become known.

Saiyki responded by turning his head and looking south. "What am I afraid of? You should know Gosain, I'm afraid of the Mist." His eyes grew cold. "Five years ago we beat them, the Seventh led us with such skill that even outnumbered we drove them back from the islands lost in the Dark Storm's first coup. Now that leadership is gone, and in those five years Mist has grown ever stronger. I do not fear the Leaf, indeed I have sent a messenger for a full peace treaty with all due speed, since we might help each other. I do not fear the missing-nins, for I saw the dragon ninja, in a few short years there will be no missing-nins in this ninja world, they will have perished. I do not fear these things, but I fear the Mist. Mizukage is a powerful man, and has proven it many times. He has great numbers at his disposal and is confined to a single island. He wants more land, and the Third Hokage no longer stands ready to hold those ambitions in check. The Mist knows their time has come, and they know we cannot easily stop them. Lightning is weaker than it has been in my lifetime, and we have no allies to defend us now. I heard Draci Neji's story, and I have sent to Waterfall, but I doubt it will mean much, they are too far away. So, yes, I fear the Mist; fear them as I have feared little as a ninja. Gosain, I will need your aid, you must succeed at this. I am the Hokage, I am supposed to lead, and when war comes I must be the general. I am a teacher, not a general, but regardless, a general must have weapons. Give me those weapons Gosain, a single sharp sword is worth a thousand rusty kunai against the Mist, and we lack swords. You found strength somewhere, find a way to bring it to these students, whatever it takes. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Gosain replied, deadly serious. _I am not a teacher, I do not know how to accomplish this task_, Gosain thought these things, but he did not stop with that. _However, there may be no other choice, I do not believe in this plan, but the Raikage is a teacher, perhaps he is right, perhaps I can teach them something. I will do so, or we will all die trying_. "Who are my students?" He asked.

Saiyki handed Gosain a pale sheaf of papers. "The information is here. Meet them at the Academy tomorrow morning."

Gosain took the sheaf and stood to go.

The Raikage addressed him once more as he walked out the door. "And Gosain, whatever you do, you'd better not die. Lightning needs you."

Gosain laughed darkly at that, cruel bile of bitterness in his throat. "Don't you know Raikage-sama, I can't die, I always come back, it's everyone else that doesn't. I'm cursed, after all."

With that he was gone, leaving Saiyki with a sad expression on his face. Gosain did not see the newly appointed Eighth Raikage take his head in his hands in near despair as he left the room.

It was a long walk back in the dark from the Raikage's office, a walk Gosain did not take easily. He was troubled by everything that had been said, from the importance attributed to him, to the threat from Mist, to this new task. Of them all it was perhaps the last that worried Gosain the most. _I am supposed to teach these three students, to make them into ninja somehow. How do you do that? All I know is how to keep fighting and to survive, I could perhaps teach the chain style, but little else. I am no jounin with scores of techniques at my disposal. I am simply another ninja._ Worse, than that Gosain knew something else. _These students, they are to be my charges, do you know Heposiri, what that means? You have condemned them, as are all who stand by me, to suffer a terrible fate. That is my curse; after all, that everyone near me suffers and is likely to perish. Only the dragon ninja seem to have escaped that, but it was not that they joined me, but I joined them. These students, no, these genin, are they going to die while I am responsible for them?_ Gosain blinked away tears, and shoved aside harshly those thoughts. It was a burden to labor under, this curse that afflicted him, but he would not let it stop him, he had resolved that long ago. No matter how much it hurt.

Reaching his apartment Gosain did not go immediately to his much needed rest, but instead opened the folder the Raikage had given him and began to read. _I will need to know who these three students are, and this is the only tool I have._ Gosain read everything carefully, noting names, academy history, scores, and more. They were three talented youths, that was certain, but Gosain had learned well that performance at the academy meant nothing to what a ninja achieved later in life. Therefore, he put the file away perhaps sooner than another might have, determined to see for himself the abilities of the students the next day. The morning would come all too early.


	4. Forming Harsh Links

**Disclaimer:** The Naruto universe and characters are copyright of the original creator and the producing companies, I make no claim on copyrights not my own. However, the majority of the material in this story is original, and my own property, including all original characters, techniques, and events.

Author's Notes: Well, here's the next chapter, and it's a long one. I'm introducing new characters that are going to be a significant part of the story, so there's a lot of important stuff here. Also, there's some action, because I can't possibly introduce new characters without showing off some cool moves. 

Thanks to all reviewers!

Chapter 3 – Forming Harsh Links 

The ninja academy of Lightning had been damaged heavily in the fighting, Gosain knew that much, he had fought atop its domed roof during the coup. Electrical techniques and destructive weapons had collapsed great portions of the building as successive waves of fighting passed over it that night. The repairs had only now begun, with workmen crawling all over the building assessing what could be done. Even to Gosain's untrained eyes it did not look hopeful, it seemed that the massive building might need to be scrapped so that they could build another one from nothing. Of course, that would take time, and money, and would make it difficult to train additional students. _Even the smallest problems seem to do nothing but compound our troubles_, Gosain thought ruefully as he approached the building. _Damn you, all you traitors who fought for the Dark Storm_, he thought again for the thousandth time.

They were not yet waiting for him, the three genin, as Gosain had arrived early, having received little sleep. So he took up a comfortable position leaning against one of the still sturdy pillars and waited for these genin to arrive. If they did not arrive on time Gosain fully intended to leave anyone who was late standing there, ninja who were not punctual were certainly not ready for what was about to be forced upon them. There were three students coming for Gosain, two boys and one girl, he knew their descriptions, and expected he would be able to pick them out from among the nine students who were to become genin today. All they had to do was arrive.

"Yo!" The voice came from above Gosain's head, and it was followed by the descent of a young student from the ceiling, hanging upside down on a chord. "You the sensei?" The boy asked.

Gosain inclined his head slightly, examining the youth. He was a slender boy, with average height and grubby spiked brown hair that looked like it made a practice of disobeying the comb every morning. The face was spilt with a bright smile, beneath a sharp nose and green eyes. His body practically quivered with energy. He wore a bright blue pair of short leggings and a sleek blue coat, which made him stand out vividly, even among the blue colors favored in Lightning architecture. This rather irritating appearance certainly belonged to Mesemay Hachi, the sprightly genin who had been noted as a prankster.

Looking at this hanging image Gosain noticed something else, and took a step back. "Why don't you dispel the bushin Hachi?" Gosain directed his words back over his shoulder. "It's quite obvious that the rope's not taught enough to support your whole weight. A bag of flour perhaps?"

"Ah, you're no fun sensei," The replication said as in vanished in a puff of smoke, which did indeed drop a bag of flour onto the ground to make a great and puffy mess.

Gosain, having anticipated this, merely sidestepped the cloud of whiteness by moving behind the pillar and getting a look at the true image of the student. Hachi was exactly like his replication, though his grin in person was a little less happy and more cuttingly amused.

"Is this how you usually greet people?" Gosain asked simply.

"Sometimes," Hachi replied. "It works better when they don't get the trick."

"That wasn't much of a trick," Gosain said frankly.

"Well, yeah." Hachi replied, his smile suddenly replaced by a serious look. "You got here so early that I didn't have much time to prepare though."

"Oh," Gosain accepted. "Regardless, sit tight and don't try anything foolish until the others get here." As he said that Gosain took another long look at Hachi, trying to get a sense of the ninja. The boy was evasive, and constantly in motion, fidgeting. It was hard to get a sense of anything beneath all that nervous energy. Recalling the information he had been given Gosain tried to gather something more. Mesemay Hachi, eleven years old. Top marks in practical skills, such as ninjutsu, throwing, infiltration, and stealth, lower marks on written exams, but still solid. The only marks on his reputation were his incorrigible pranking, which had apparently harassed his teachers excessively. Strangely, Hachi apparently took more joy in pulling the prank, than the actual joke that resulted. _An unusual boy, but still a child_, Gosain decided. _I wonder if he can fuel that energy effectively when he must. _

That thought occupied Gosain until the next student arrived.

This one was likewise a young boy, a student that could barely be called a ninja. Indeed, his face was even more youthful than that of Hachi, with simple clean eyes and a lack of malice. He was unremarkable, as most young ninja are, with brown free hanging hair and soft brown eyes. His face was young and open, hiding nothing, and he wore simply an imitation of the chuunin's uniform, sized for a younger body. The only thing remarkable about him was his weapon, a short, taught bow that he carried over his shoulder. Gosain recognized this one as well, a twelve year old student, his marks high in all categories, though not at the top, but a superb archer, despite that profession's rarity among ninja. The bow was not a weapon favored by many ninja, since it was almost useless indoors, and though stealthy, most ninja found thrown weapons such as kunai far more useful. _So, this is Gashao Koto_, Gosain looked at this student. _He is so young, he is not ready for this, what is coming will chew him up_. Gosain thought these things, but masked his face to the young archer. Hopefully, as a sniper, he might survive long enough to learn what he must. Gosain hoped that, but already, he did not believe it.

"You are Gashao Koto?" Gosain asked simply.

"Yes," Koto replied. "You are our sensei? Good to meet you!" He smiled happily.

Gosain winced inwardly. "Are you familiar with Hachi? He is to be your teammate."

"Ah," Koto said sourly with a grimace. "I'm stuck with you Hachi?" He stared at the other student. "That means I'll be stuck dealing with your stupid pranks all the time."

"Heheh," Hachi smirked. "Perfect."

"Save your pranks for the enemy," Gosain said sternly. "You'd better not think I'd give you the free time for any such things against your teammates."

"Will it be that bad sensei?" Koto asked.

"Probably it will be worse," Gosain answered. "But that can wait until the last of you has arrived."

She would arrive precisely on time, something that Gosain found appropriate. While the other two had not surprised him, this one did, even though he had expected something different. Her file had given him quite a bit to think about, but when he saw her, he recognized that it had left glaring gaps. She was a small girl, substantially shorter than even Hachi, despite being three years older than he was. However, her form held a compact strength, with tight and sturdy muscles visible in her stride. She wore a tight blue jumpsuit that went down to her forearms and knees, and covered it with a small oversuit of the mesh garb many ninja wore, and a sturdy padded jacket, one designed to absorb blows. Her hair was a glossy black, though it seemed to have tinges of a deep blue, a color that reminded Gosain of the Dark Storm's servants' garb. Her eyes were a bright green-blue, the color of the ocean when it smashed into the shore, a very strange color, but one that made her heritage clear. Those eyes were piercing, even though her movements were reserved, and she did not say anything as she approached. _So_, Gosain thought with interest. _This is Stomatoa Saki, the fourteen-year-old daughter of Stomatoa Vesu, the youngest daughter of the traitor clan. How unusual_.

Saki wore the lightning forehead protector clearly atop her head, while Hachi had concealed his on his arm, and Koto wrapped his about his right leg. It was an unusual contrast, especially as Gosain knew these students had only been given those emblems this very morning. Only Saki had chosen to display hers prominently, yet she was of questionable loyalty. _Had she been born twenty years ago she wore wear the forehead protector of the Mist ninja, not ours_. Gosain knew that, he had reread the history of the Stomatoa clan yesterday after what had happened during the ceremony. He knew how they entire clan, under the leadership of Vesu, had left Mist during a particularly brutal war twenty-three years past, after the former Mizukage had betrayed the clan and left them to die. The remnant of the clan had come to Lightning, where they had been accepted, but always they were still regarded as traitors. They wielded strange techniques from water, and it was said they imitated sea creatures in their fighting, not the way of lightning.

_This one is the daughter of the head of the clan. Her father held her back from the academy for three years, yet when she finally entered she excelled in everything, graduating with marks higher than any ninja in recent memory, they say she might be a genius ninja, or perhaps she was just schooled at home for extra time, none of her teachers knew. Pity I can't ask them_, Gosain had thought the night before, _since they're all dead, it might have made it easier to deal with this young woman_. Having read the data on Saki, and recalling the Raikage's words, Gosain expected it was her that he was intended to turn into a real ninja, but he refused to look at it that way. _I will treat them all the same, and they will succeed or fail on their own merits._

Saki approached the three standing by the academy, but said nothing.

"Stomatoa Saki?" Gosain inquired.

"Yes." She replied, in a soft and simple voice.

_Awfully quiet_, Gosain remarked. _I wonder why?_ He noted a certain conservation of movement in Saki's motion as she walked. _Perhaps she carries over that method to all forms of life. She must have an unusual fighting style to move that way though_. Gosain's own fighting style was expressive and forceful, and his motions were similar to it as a result, lacking subtlety. Saki was not subtle, exactly, but Gosain thought he detected a strange choppiness to the way she moved, as if she went from one position to another as quickly as possible, spending very little time in the transition. It lent a sort of jerky unreality to the way she walked.

"Well, since you are all here, we will get moving." Gosain told his new students.

"Where are we going?" Hachi asked absently.

"To a practice field outside the village," Gosain replied readily. "We can talk as we walk." He added, and started walking.

Koto quickly jogged up beside Gosain, his shorter legs pumping quickly in an attempt to match Gosain's much longer and stronger stride. "Um, sensei?" He asked cautiously. "Who are you? They didn't tell us."

"Kabure Gosain," Came the curt reply.

"No way!" Hachi protested when he heard that, his tone incredulous. "You can't be Gosain! He doesn't look at all like you."

Gosain gave a sour smile at this, and turned his head to face Hachi. "Oh? Gosain doesn't look like me?" He laughed. "Don't stop walking Hachi," He admonished. "But tell me, what do I look like?"

"Well, Gosain's older than you right?" Hachi began. "He's a real adult, not somebody like you, and he's got scars all over his body, you've only got a few on the face. One of the genin that fought with him told me Gosain had a voice like thunder, and eyes of lightning, and well, you don't quite measure up to that." Hachi gave a sarcastic smile. "Besides, Gosain has chains, right, I mean everybody knows those are his weapons, and you haven't got any chains." He spoke as if that settled it.

"Really?" Gosain looked back at Hachi again. "I seem to have confused some people somehow." Outwardly Gosain smiled, but inside he felt a queer pit in his stomach. This sort of thing was not at all amusing to him. "Well, perhaps your friend saw me during the fighting. I might have looked older then, since I was tired, but I'm eighteen, I know that much, and I do have a few scars." Gosain fingered the long scar on right side of his face, and the shorter one on his chin for emphasis. "There are others, you just can't see them." Gosain could feel those scars, the ones on his chest, and the terrible burn scar on his right shoulder, where he had taken a brutal blast of lightning on his trek to bring back Draci Xi, and others. "Likewise, I can shout surprisingly loud if I must. However, if it's chains you wish as evidence, I'm sure you'll get your chance. I do have them with me." _I wonder if you can figure that out, Hachi_, Gosain wondered. _Do you realize I'm wearing the chains under my shirt even now?_

"I believe you're Gosain, sensei," Koto said from his other side. "It's an honor to have you teach us."

"No it isn't," Gosain said coldly and flatly, making the statement very clear.

"B-b-but..." Koto began.

"Kabure Gosain is a chuunin." Saki said from behind the three, speaking up for the first time. She said nothing more, but let the statement hang in the air.

Koto gave her a blank look, and even Hachi seemed a bit confused, so Gosain filled them in, not willing to tell these students anything but the truth.

"She's correct," He said sadly. "I'm a chuunin, not a jounin, as should be teaching you. There aren't enough jounin, so the Raikage has broken the tradition. There isn't any choice. I intend to do my best to instruct you, but my abilities are limited. I am sorry, your abilities deserve better, but we must conform to what the times allow."

"Oh." Koto said. Hachi and Saki said nothing.

The rest of the walk proceeded in silence. Gosain stared firmly ahead, trying to sort out his feelings, and the three students followed him. _What do I do with them?_ Gosain still couldn't answer that question. Having seen the students he was still unsure of their talents. _They seem to have some ability, but I can't tell. Hachi's not serious; Koto is naïve, and Saki mysterious. That won't do. I need to figure things out, and fast, there's only a week. We are going to have a mission then, and if I cannot determine what the skills of these three are then I don't think I will be able to keep any of them alive_. Gosain did not kid himself; he knew that for a while at least it would be up to him to keep these genin alive on missions, they would be up against opponents they could not possibly defeat themselves. With that in mind Gosain made his decision. _It won't be pleasant, but it needs to be done, besides, these are supposed to be my students, my subordinates, not my friends. I must remember that. The leader cannot become to close to those he commands._

It did not take that long to arrive at the field. The area was one of many usually used by academy students for practice, a cleared area with various targets and courses arranged throughout. The area was a bit ratty though, the grass having grown up tall in the weeks since the fighting, since there was no one to perform maintenance anymore. The trees were now fleshed out with the growth of spring, where they had been bare not long before. It was a sight familiar to every ninja, as students and genin they spent countless hours in fields like these, training until exhausted, and sometimes pushed further.

Gosain walked out to the center of the field. He turned swiftly to face his students, making sure his limbs were lose and ready as he did. Calculatedly Gosain spun the long pole he carried in his right hand, loosening the muscles there and getting ready for action. His three students looked at him. Koto's stare was expectant, Hachi's mischievous, and Saki simply looked at the area in front of her, ready.

"So sensei," Hachi began. "What are we going to do? Run through an obstacle course?"

"No," Gosain replied plainly. "Something rather more straightforward. Normally you would have been tested by your jounin sensei when you graduated from the academy, to see if you understood what it takes to be a ninja properly or if you needed further instruction. That is not going to happen today, since you have been made to graduate early. The Raikage has made the assumption that you are ready to be ninja, and if you are not, well, then we'll all find out in the most unfortunate way possible. Still, I need to know more about your skills, to see what I can possibly try to teach you."

"You mean what sort of jutsu we need to learn?" Koto asked.

"No," Gosain replied quickly and sternly. "I doubt I can teach any of you jutsu, you will have to find others to learn new techniques from." He gave each student in turn a cold, dark glance. "What I can teach you is what life has taught me, what you need to know of being a ninja. It won't be pleasant to learn, but these lessons will be far more important than learning jutsu. Techniques are only the tools of a ninja, like weapons or clothing, what is truly important is who you are. That, I can try and force you to discover."

"How?" Saki whispered, her eyes betraying a cautious interest.

"The hard way," Gosain cut out the words. "Through pain and pushing you past your limits." Gosain paused, and then spoke clear words, speaking his mind honestly. "You may know something of my reputation, my history, how almost everyone who has ever worked with me has suffered or been slain. That is the truth, it is who I am, a cursed ninja. I have been through pain and trials, but that has made me into a ninja, and I m not afraid to keep fighting. That much, I will try to teach you. Do you understand?"

Slowly, and not without hesitation from each of them, the three genin nodded.

"Well then," Gosain continued more easily, the grimness gone for now, though not far away. "It's time I saw what you three can do. So, this won't be complicated. I just want you to try to beat me."

"Beat you?" Koto mumbled.

"Was that not clear?" Gosain raised an eyebrow. "It's a simple exercise. You three treat me as an enemy and attempt to defeat me."

"Yeah sure sensei," Hachi laughed. "Like the three of us can beat you. We're just students."

"Maybe," Gosain growled. "You never know, it wasn't long ago that I saw an awful lot of genin defeat chuunin when they had numbers on their side." He recalled those fights vividly, bloody battles on the rooftops of Hidden Cloud against the Dark Storm's servants. "I'm only a chuunin after all, but that hardly matters. The point is that you fight with all your strength, so that both you see, and I see, what you're able to do. Got it?"

"Okay," Hachi grinned evilly. "This could be fun. The academy teachers never let us do anything like this. When do we start?"

Gosain reached back into his shuriken pouch with his left hand. "Right now." He said, and pulled out three shuriken, letting them fly, one at each student.

The reactions were mixed. Hachi tumbled out of the way with that same evil glimmer in his eyes, and then broke and ran for cover. Koto's eyes went wide and he barely managed to hit the dirt in time, as the shuriken clipped by his leg. Saki simply ducked and let the throwing star pass over her head easily.

Gosain was not about to let them get off that simply. "I suggest you scatter," he called out as he took his steel pole in both hands and advanced swiftly. Both students responded by jumping back. Koto continued leaping rearward until he reached the cover of several propped up stumps. Once there Gosain watched as he appeared to consider what to do. Saki was more cautious, she simply stepped back as Gosain advanced, not drawing a weapon, but not openly retreating either.

Giving the girl a cautious look, Gosain circled to the right, moving out of Koto's line of fire. "You don't expect to fight me alone do you?" He asked Saki, curious.

"No." She answered. With a sharp snapping motion she reached down and drew two shuriken, and then threw them.

Not bothering to dodge, Gosain simply spun the pole in his hands and knocked the throwing stars away. As he did so he noted the velocity behind them, and the force of the impact by the sound. _Those were thrown hard_, he saw, a bit impressed. _She's a lot stronger than you'd think for someone that size. Those were good marks, but that attack didn't have much purpose._

As she'd attacked Saki had fallen back to cover as well, heading for the trees as Hachi had. Gosain watched her go, and he saw that she was circling wide, and it would be a while before either she or Hachi were back in the fight. That left only Koto nearby. The genin had some distance, so Gosain was cautious, as that bow could be dangerous. _Come on boy. Make a move_. He waited at the ready, pole in both hands.

Koto made his move.

It was a simple move, but well executed. Having seen Gosain deflect the shuriken Saki threw, he didn't try anything so simple. Instead, he leapt straight upward, bow draw and an arrow notched. He peaked above Gosain's head at the moment he released his shot. "Lightning arrow no jutsu!"

It was an old technique, simple and predictable, but still effective. Using chakra to create a static charge in the bowstring and then passing that onto the arrow as it was fired, allowing the weapon to go much faster and to carry a massive charge of shocking power, so that anyone struck would not only be wounded, by stunned for a while. This also provided the projectile with a key advantage, even if Gosain blocked the weapon with his pole, he'd still get seriously shocked.

_Easy enough to dodge, but then he'll just shoot again_. Gosain recognized. _I don't want to use my chains on these three, so I'll have to do something else_. He had only a split second to think about it.

He grabbed a kunai from his holster with his left hand, and then tossed it into the air, snagging it onto the hook on his pole an instant later. As the arrow came in Gosain dashed it aside with the kunai, flicking his pole at the moment of impact so that it knocked free, preventing him from being shocked.

Koto had a second shot ready, but his position was off, having waited for Gosain to dodge. Instead, he had to jump backwards, as Gosain swept his pole through the position where he would have landed. Koto dodged another two strikes, but he was off balance as Gosain pressed him, wielding the pole in a fashion that was different than a sword, confusing the young student. Hindered by his bow, Koto was unable to block, and Gosain swiped him firmly in the side with the third strike.

The metal pole connected with a viscous crack, but Koto managed to roll with the blow, letting it carry him away, attempting to buy some breathing space.

With a swift surety Gosain moved to finish Koto, not because he wanted to end the fight yet, but to force the other two students to do something.

Smoke exploded everywhere.

"Hehe," Hachi's voice called over the din of smoke bombs exploding. "Seems Koto got you just close enough."

Gosain didn't listen to the youth's boasting, he was already leaping back and away, and he heard shuriken pass through the space he had just occupied. Smoke clouded his vision, and he expected a strike as he landed. _I won't fall into so simple a trap though, Hachi_. Gosain back-flipped, but held his pole in both hands, so that it slammed into the ground first. The instant it struck with force he launched himself away from the weapon, landing several feet away.

"Got you!" Hachi called, and a flurry of kunai passed through the point where Gosain had landed. "What?" The genin shrieked. "You got away?"

_A lack of discipline there, Hachi, you shouldn't have said anything_. Gosain grimaced, easily tracking the other ninja from the position of his voice, insuring that it was indeed Hachi, and not Saki, who threw the kunai.

"At least I got your weapon." Hachi remarked, landing in front of Gosain as the smoke cleared.

"Did you?" Gosain flicked his left hand. His pole lurched out of the ground and with another jerk flew back to his reach. A glimmer of sunlight revealed the thin wire that Gosain had attached to the hook. "A trick I learned from Shiren." He shrugged. "Now you've exposed yourself."

"Eh, well, that's true." Hachi giggled. "Hey Koto? You up?" He called.

"Yeah." The other genin replied, stepping clear of the residual smoke, his bow in hand.

"Looks like Saki's here as well," Hachi pointed, drawing a flicker of Gosain's gaze to the girl, standing far behind him on the right, shuriken in hand. "So, we've surrounded you."

"So you have," Gosain noted. _Well, their tactical sense isn't half bad_. He decided. _I suspect its not all that well planned though. Still, Koto's in the rear, that's his proper position as a sniper. I wonder why Hachi's the one to face me though? I suspect Saki has greater skills._ Gosain decided to see what would happen, even as he made his own plans to counter their actions. "What good does it do you to surround me though?"

"It makes it easier for me to distract you to give Koto a shot." Hachi giggled.

"Distract?"

"Like this!" Hachi's hands flashed through a series of seals. "Rai Bushin no Jutsu!"

_Lightning clones!_ Gosain dashed to the left, shocked. _Who taught him that?_ It was a far more skilled jutsu than the ordinary replication technique, to create clones infused with powerful electrical charge. It was also, as Gosain grasped immediately, the perfect sort of technique for a trickster like Hachi.

Ten clones, an impressive number given how much chakra a genin had available, but Gosain understood that Hachi was going for broke with this move. _Ten clones will restrict movement severely_, Gosain recognized. _I have to get rid of some fast, before they close in, but I have to watch for Koto and Saki at the same time. Pity my throwing skills aren't a little better._

Swiftly Gosain flipped left, away from Saki, who he still considered the most dangerous, and putting Hachi's clones between him and Koto. That really didn't matter, since if Koto understood the nature of the technique properly he could just fire through the clones to good effect, but Gosain suspected he didn't. Genin really weren't supposed to know that jutsu. Coming up with his pole at his feet, Gosain launched shuriken at as many clones as he thought he could hit, two at each, targeting four in all.

Then he hit the dirt.

"Ah! You know!" Hachi moaned.

The clones attempted to dodge, but Gosain's throws were accurate, if not artistic. One of the weapons hit each one.

Metal struck a fabrication of chakra and electricity, and the clones exploded.

Sparks of lightning flew everywhere as the brilliant charges within the lightning clones were released, creating massive discharges that swept leaves from trees dozens of yards away, and buffeted Koto and Saki enough that they could do nothing while the clones blasted apart. The explosions also caught two additional clones, which had been too close to the others, and they to blasted apart.

Before the dust had cleared Gosain was standing. He kicked his pole into his hands and charged forward, jumping over the four remaining clones that stood there stunned for a second as their original tried to get his act together. Hachi scrambled to move out of Gosain's way, but he was too late. He threw up a block that intercepted the blow from the pole, but Gosain's left hand snaked out and grabbed his right arm. The genin screamed in astonishment as he was picked up and tossed back at his remaining clones.

As the clones leapt away to avoid colliding with and detonating upon their original, Gosain smacked each one with another shuriken.

"Lightning arrow no jutsu!" Koto launched the shot clean at Gosain's exposed body.

The genin's aim was true, and wind could not deflect that charged missile. Gosain had planned for this though, and the arrow was in the air at the moment the last four clones exploded.

Electrical charge split the air, and it pulled at the charge on the missile, pulling it off its path so that it sailed harmlessly toward the woods. Gosain had planned this, having used the same trick of charge affecting charge in several fights before. Usually he used his chains as the vehicle, but Hachi's explosive clones had worked just as well.

The attacks of two of the genin had thus been deflected, but Gosain had not forgotten the third, indeed, he spun around to face her, predicting the charge as it came. _So Saki, what's your move?_ Gosain wondered. The other two had shown their capabilities, but Saki had so far made no significant moves, and Gosain intended to measure this attack carefully.

The girl's attack stance was not one he recognized, not a normal taijutsu stance, or even the Jinnen fighting stance that characterized the ultra-fast fighting style many Lightning ninja used, but something unusual. She held her left arm in front of her body, across her chest, with the elbow bent ninety degrees so that she held her hand in front of her face. The stance obviously meant for some sort of backhand attack, but Gosain couldn't see what the purpose of it was. _That stance allows only for a quick, weaker strike, what is she attempting?_ He raised his pole to meet the attack.

Saki's feet moved with extreme rapidity, and at the last moment she seemed to leave the ground slightly. Her eyes held to Gosain's the whole way, but he felt almost as if she were looking past him to something very distant, and there was a look on that face that seemed wholly inhuman.

The blow will come...

Gosain predicted it, but he was wrong.

A massive crack split the training field, and Gosain felt a terrible impact on his chest. It smashed solidly into the chains he wore under his flak jacket, carrying force straight through that protective garment and knocking all the breath from his body. The pain was incredible_. If I wasn't wearing chains she would have blasted my ribcage apart!_ Gosain realized suddenly as he flew backward through the air, tumbling to his feet again. _What was that? I never saw her arm move!_ Saki skidded to a stop behind Gosain, her arm still in that position, her breathing ragged.

The pain Gosain felt was serious, he suspected his ribs were massively bruised, if not cracked. _Time to end this game_. He reached down and ripped free two kunai, sending them flying at Saki, who in her surprise to see him still moving, barely dodged.

Gosain flipped into the air, putting the speed of his chakra behind his motions, coming dashing in at the shocked Koto. The genin managed a quick shot, but Gosain simply grabbed the arrow with his bare hand, feeling it burn across his skin, and threw it back. Koto tumbled clumsily aside, only to feel a cold point at his neck.

One of the hooked ends of Gosain's pole hung there. "You're dead." The chuunin said coldly.

With practiced motions Gosain spun around to deflect several kunai with his pole. The he grabbed Koto by the collar and threw the genin back toward the other two, obscuring their vision.

A swift roll took Gosain under Koto's wide-eyed flying form, and he came up with his pole outstretched. A quick strike with tremendous force slapped aside Hachi's guard; the young genin had no way to hold back that attack. Then Gosain's hook was at his throat as well. "You're dead." Gosain said again.

He kicked out, striking Hachi in the leg, and the genin pitched downward, his body suddenly over Gosain, and forcing Saki to hold back the hard punch she was about to land. Quickly Gosain kicked Hachi off of him and scrambled the other way, coming up face to face with Saki.

The two faced each other for a moment. Saki looked at Gosain strangely, with disbelief evident on her face. Gosain came her a look that showed some grudging respect. _The other two have some skills, and great potential; she has realized some of it. And what the hell did she hit me with?_

"You are still standing," Saki said, the words were level, but there was an unasked question behind them.

"Care to try again?" Gosain replied. He held his pole loosely in his right hand now. Gosain was careful to mask his tormented breathing; to make sure Saki could not tell what damage she had inflicted.

In response to his question Saki drew two unusual weapons from her shuriken pouch. She strapped them over her wrists. They were odd pieces of metal, with four sharpened tines, each like a knife, extending out past the hand, two above and two below. It was clear they could both stab with sharp points, or cut brutally with the outside edge. She dropped into a fighting stance.

Gosain determined to finish the matter swiftly. Saki couldn't match him. He knew that. Aside from that one move his speed was still better than hers, if not by much, and his timing was much better. _Her strength is formidable for a girl so small, and it will surprise many, especially if it grows_, Gosain reasoned. _But I am one of the strongest ninja in this country; it comes from carrying all this chain around constantly_. He circled for a moment, then struck in.

Saki met the strike and blocked the pole with her left hand weapon, catching the pole in between two tines, but then gasped.

Gosain had brought the strike lightly, and even as Saki brought her other arm in to stab him, he applied the strength of his entire upper body with both arms down the pole, throwing the much smaller girl backwards.

Flipped in the air, Saki tried to right herself, but Gosain slapped her down to the ground with a strike blow, and then he put the hook of his pole to her throat. "You're dead." The chuunin stepped back and let Saki stand up.

The other two students came up beside Saki as Gosain stepped back to look at them. Koto and Hachi had grim expressions. Saki stood up with a similar look, but there was still that glance of puzzlement in her eyes.

"All right," Gosain spoke clearly, honestly. "That wasn't too bad for an exercise." He looked at all three in turn. "First, good, you've shown me some skills. You all have the right to be called genin, you fought fully, and as best you were able. Second, before we deal with anything else." He turned a razor sharp gaze on Saki. "What the hell did you hit me with?"

The girl looked up, and there was a dark courage present in her, a pride that made her proud of what she had done, and its capabilities, but also confusion. "Stom strike." She said.

"Ah, the details," Gosain's look softened. "I'm not familiar with the all the techniques you three are likely to use, so when I ask for an explanation, give me the whole one, okay?"

Saki took in a breath cautiously. "Stom strike, the strike of the creature from which we take out name, the Mantis Shrimp. The blows of its arms are faster and stronger than any other creature compared by size. By imitating its form and using our chakra, our clan produces a blow that is faster than a human can see, and strong enough to break apart granite." She now fixed Gosain with a harsh gaze of her own. "I hit you, I felt it. How are you able to stand? Your ribs should be shattered."

Gosain chose to answer by demonstration. He took off his flak jacket and then pulled the top of his shirt down a ways, revealing the shining steel links of chain that were wrapped about his torso. "These took most of the blow, spreading it out widely, as opposed to hitting a single point. It still hurts quite severely though. That is a very powerful move. I'm surprised you can use it."

"My best move," Saki answered simply. "My father made me learn it."

"I see," Gosain replied quietly. He looked back at all three of them. "Well, regardless, it was not a bad start. However, you three have skills, that's true, much better skills than many genin who've been out of the academy for a long time, but that means very little!" His voice rose. "You lost today not because of your skills, after all, I didn't even use any jutsu against you, but because of inexperience and hesitation. This is not academy practice anymore, you will be on real battlefields in a weak. Hesitation cannot be allowed, confusion cannot be accepted, and you cannot give up, ever. I could have easily ended this after Saki struck me, after all, her blow hurt severely, and moving around afterwards is likely to increase my own pain quite a bit, but that is not the way. In order to survive the real, harsh, terrifying ninja world, you must always give everything, and more. You have to go further than you think possible, to break down what holds your strength back. I can't teach you techniques, but that much I can teach you. I will teach you how to push yourselves so hard that you find new strength, how to always fight with everything, how to never hold back when your life is on the line, and how to risk it all for your objectives. That way you will have a chance to survive. I can teach you those important lessons, and while we do that, we will work to increase you skills: Your stamina, you chakra formation ability, your strength, your speed, your sensitivity, and, as I learned from the dragon ninja, your chakra control. Do you understand?"

They nodded in unison.

"Good." Gosain muttered. Then he made a decision to explain one other thing. _Perhaps it's not a good idea for the long run to begin this way, but if they are to live, it will be important_. "I think, that I will also train you each differently."

"Why sensei?" Koto asked.

"Modern ninja have specialties, very few ninja can ever excel in all areas, and even the very best have a specialty that they favor." Gosain answered. "Usually you don't learn a specialty until you've been a ninja for longer, but these times will require that you maximize your abilities as quickly as possible. So, each of you will channel your efforts toward at least basic specialization."

"Meaning?" Hachi asked.

"Meaning you will focus primarily on one of the main areas of ninja practice." Gosain told them. "Can you tell me what they are?"

"You mean like ninjutsu and taijutsu sensei?" Koto replied.

Gosain nodded. He suspected Saki also knew the answer to his question, but that she did not speak. _I am going to have to learn to read her face_, he decided, _she doesn't talk much_.

"Ninjutsu and taijutsu, that is one way of looking at it." Gosain told his students. "Taijutsu is also close ranged specialization, and ninjutsu is usually mid-ranged specialization. My chain fighting style, however, is also mid-ranged specialization. There are long-ranged specialists as well. The final two specializations are genjutsu, and medical techniques." Gosain looked at each of them. "I would suggest Koto, long ranged specialization, being an archer you are already focused in that direction. Hachi, I think your talents are genjutsu oriented; they will work well with your ideas. Saki, I am certain that you already intend to be a taijutsu specialist."

"Yes," They all answered.

"A female taijutsu specialist is unusual, it will surprise many opponents." Gosain told Saki.

"It is our clan's way." She responded, voice emotionless.

_Hmm..._Gosain wondered. "Well, now that I've settled that we have a lot of drills to start."

"Huh?" Hachi interrupted.

"You did not think we were done?" Gosain looked at the three students, and gave them a serious, and grim face. "The Raikage will be giving the four of us a mission in one week, and it will be a serious c-rank mission at least. Therefore, I'm not wasting any time. I don't expect to finish today until I'm dragging you off the field. Understand?"

With that, they got started.

For the Record: Mantis Shrimp are real animals; properly called Stomatopods (source of the Stomatoa name) almost everything that Saki will say about them is biological reality. I find the creatures rather interesting, and so I've chosen to make them part of the story. Animal inspiration is sighted for a lot of fighting methods, so why not this possibility. Anyone interested in some facts about these creatures should go here: 


End file.
